Duke lacrosse coach quits

DURHAM, N.C., April 5 (UPI) -- Duke lacrosse coach Mike Pressler resigned Wednesday and university President Richard Brodhead canceled the team's season.

The announcement came hours after the release of an e-mail in which a Duke lacrosse player allegedly threatened to kill strippers less than an hour after a stripper said team members raped her.

The alleged threat was revealed Wednesday when Durham, N.C., police released documents in the investigation of the stripper's charge that three team members raped her at a party on March 13 at Duke's Edens Dormitory.

The Durham Herald Sun published the message, with typographical errors, allegedly sent from a player's e-mail address:

"To whom it may concern

"tommrow night, after tonights show, ive decided to have some strippers over to edens 2c. all are welcome.. however there will be no nudity. I plan on killing the bitches as soon as the walk in and proceding to cut their skin off..."

In a statement issued by the university, Brodhead called the e-mail "sickening and repulsive," the newspaper said.

Joe Cheshire, a lawyer representing one of the team captains, said the e-mail supports team members who said they hired dancers, but the women left the party early, the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer reported.

Police are investigating possible first-degree forcible rape, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree forcible sexual offense, common law robbery and felonious strangulation and conspiracy to commit murder.

Pressler compiled a record of 153-82 in 16 years at Duke. His teams won three ACC championships and went to the NCAA Tournament 10 times -- reaching the national championship game in 2005.